bubblegum and baseball caps
by amillionsmiles
Summary: Welcome to San Fransokyo, land of the late-night cram sessions, long days in the lab, and everything in between. / Tadashi&GoGo, drabble dump.
1. fixer upper

**A/N: **can't stop won't stop

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><p>GoGo is not easily impressed.<p>

But she is amused. _Very_ amused.

"You seriously ride this piece of junk to school?" she asks, circling the moped.

Tadashi, who has started to hunch his shoulders in embarrassment, straightens abruptly. "Wait, 'piece of _junk_'?"

GoGo kicks the side of the moped; the kickstand falls off completely. She catches the moped before it can tip over and shoots Tadashi a pointed look.

"Okay," sighs Tadashi, acknowledging defeat. "But you've got to admit it's a nice color. And she's a good bike. We've been through a lot together."

"Mhmm," nods GoGo absentmindedly, leaning over to tinker with the handlebars. She swings a leg over, her other foot planted on the ground, and starts up the moped. It purrs to life beneath her hands, and GoGo's fingertips buzz with electricity as she envisions all the improvements she can make.

She can work with this.

Some of her approval must bleed onto her face, because Tadashi rubs the back of his neck and peers closer at her. "What's that expression mean? Good? Bad?"

GoGo switches the moped off again, cracking her neck and rolling back her shoulders. "It means we've got work to do."


	2. run this race

**A/N: **posted this on tumblr earlier but forgot to add it here, so...here! :P

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><p>He should have known it would end like this.<p>

GoGo's arm shoots up, fist pumping in the air, while Tadashi sinks deeper into the couch, groaning. Over the course of forty minutes, he has learned a few things.

Number one: GoGo is relentless when it comes to Mario Kart. So far, she has beaten him ten times. Secondly, for someone usually so reserved, it turns out GoGo trash-talks. A lot.

"Ready to eat dust again?"

"Come on, if it hadn't been for that red shell…"

"Tell that to my ten victory laps."

Shaking his head in amusement, Tadashi starts up the next race. GoGo leans forward in anticipation, her elbows resting on her knees, and Tadashi documents yet another fact about her.

She's sharp. The clipped ends of her syllables, the tip of her nose, the line of her shoulders and the tilt of her chin, the glint in her eyes—GoGo, Tadashi thinks, is all angles.

Not that she doesn't have curves. Because she does, just—

—Tadashi blinks, shaking his head. He is not going to get sidetracked. He has a game to win.

Three minutes later, GoGo stretches her arms above her head lazily, nudging Tadashi with her foot. "Nice try," she teases.

Tadashi takes off his hat and runs a hand through his hair, smiling a little as he sinks back against the couch in defeat. "All right, all right, I give up."

A momentary pause hovers between them, and Tadashi waits for another teasing jab. Instead, GoGo's eyes flicker between him and her controller, her thumb fiddling with the directional pad, before she blows a bubble and bumps his shoulder. "Hey, remember how we said that loser would buy dinner?"

Tadashi's grin widens. "Yes."

"Yeah, well. I like burgers."


	3. slow burn

**A/N: **wanted to try writing from another character's point of view, so here we go! Also I'm a big fan of the build-up and the idea that these two would be in denial and that gray area of friendship/maybe something more for a long time (*sobs* if only they had longer...)

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><p>"<em>So,<em> how's Tadashi?" Honey Lemon asks, pushing GoGo's java chip frappuccino across the counter.

"Ask him yourself," fires back GoGo, her eyes not leaving the passage she's highlighting.

Honey Lemon refuses to be deterred. She blows a strand of hair out of her face before deciding to just retie her bun. "Come _on_, you know what I mean."

Silence.

"Okay, fine," continues Honey, unfazed, "but you _did_ admit you thought he was maybe kind of sort of _totally adorable_."

"I'm sure those were my exact words," says GoGo, reaching for her drink and taking a hearty sip.

Honey thanks the coffee shop for having low traffic today, because she does not intend to take the heat off of her friend anytime soon. "I can see it happening," she confides. "He could definitely be your type."

This time, GoGo snorts. "I don't have time for a type."

"Nonsense." Honey waves a hand at her. "I've seen you, GoGo. When you put your mind to something, you get it done. The question here is not _if_, but when."

"'_When_' will I do Tadashi?" smirks GoGo, eyes sparkling in amusement.

Honey makes a face. "Not what I meant, though now I realize it could have come across that way. Although if you want to, I'll be totally supportive and stuff! Because we are strong, independent college women in search of fulfilling lives, and if that's part of it then I don't see why—"

"Honey," GoGo interjects, bluntly but patiently, "You're rambling."

"Oops, right. Sorry. Anyways, back to the subject—_ooh,_ I know, let's invite him bowling this weekend! You, me, Fred, Wasabi, and Tadashi. It's the perfect opportunity!"

GoGo flips the page.

"I'm taking that as a yes."

"Even if I say no, you're going to find a way to get me there," points out GoGo, clapping her book shut and sliding it into her bag. "Text me the details later. I've got a professor to catch." She slides out of her stool, swinging her messenger bag onto her shoulder and grabbing her drink.

"You're dodging the underlying question here!" Honey Lemon calls after GoGo, cupping her hands around her mouth. "Don't think I'm going to forget. I'll get you to admit it eventually!"

GoGo throws a hand up in acknowledgment but doesn't turn around. Just as she is about to exit, the bells above the door ring, indicating someone else's entrance.

Honey Lemon drops her hands, not believing her luck. _Speak of the devil._

Tadashi Hamada enters, bright-eyed, pulling his cap off and running a hand through his hair.

"Hey, GoGo," he greets. The girl replies with a brisk nod, intent on getting to her destination; her messenger bag bounces against her hip as she speed-walks into the sunshine.

Tadashi's eyes follow GoGo as she leaves before he shrugs and shakes his head, smiling to himself before making his way to the counter. Honey Lemon has already started preparing his standard vanilla latte, and she slips the sleeve onto it just as Tadashi asks, "What's her rush?"

"Oh, you know GoGo. Always in a hurry," laughs Honey Lemon, accepting Tadashi's dollar bill. "_Say_, you wouldn't happen to be busy Saturday night, would you?"

"As of now, no."

"Perfect." Honey Lemon practically vibrates in place with excitement.

She doesn't need her lab goggles to see that Tadashi and GoGo have the potential for _excellent_ chemistry. It'll be an interesting reaction indeed, if she can just tip them in the right direction.

Tadashi and GoGo better watch out. She'll figure them out.

Eventually.


	4. keep me warm

**A/N: **who cares about timelines I just want these two in winter clothing

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><p>"GoGo?"<p>

GoGo peers out from under the hood of her coat, disgruntled. Her outfit today is not streamlined at all. She's shed her usual leather jacket and leggings for pants and layers of clothing, and the whole effect is constricting and not at all to her liking. But some things must be sacrificed in the name of health. It turns out that she isn't suited to colder weather.

Still, that doesn't change the fact that she feels like a giant marshmallow.

Tadashi seems to think the same, because he's grinning as he approaches, head tilted slightly. "You warm there?"

"Toasty," GoGo responds bitterly, her fingers stiff despite being shoved in the pockets of her hoodie.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," apologizes Tadashi as they begin walking, his longer legs keeping pace easily beside her shorter ones.

"Hm," grunts GoGo in response, happy to be moving again, the blood coursing through her body.

She glances at Tadashi out of the corner of her eye as they cross the quad. He looks put together as always, with his winter coat done up neatly and a scarf draped around his neck. His faithful bag hangs over a shoulder, and the baseball cap has been exchanged for a red beanie. A tuft of black hair peeks out from under the front of it, falling across Tadashi's forehead, and GoGo's fingers twitch in her pockets.

She chalks their strange reaction up to the cold.

Her discomfort ends soon enough when they decide to take a detour and enter the coffee shop. The bell overhead chimes merrily. GoGo breathes an audible sigh of relief and takes out her hands, rubbing them together in the warm air.

"Your hands are freezing," says Tadashi, hands closing over hers, and GoGo nearly swallows her gum when she finds his face so close, studying her frozen digits in concentration.

"I'll live," she shrugs, and it's true. She can feel herself warming already, the yellow lighting of the café washing over her with a comforting touch.

Tadashi pulls back, his cheeks flushed pink—probably from the cold. "Wait here."

Since they're no longer outdoors, GoGo doesn't see any reason to complain. She remains at the corner of the shop, fingers tucked under her armpits, rocking from one foot to the other as Tadashi gets in line.

He comes back with two hot chocolates, fingers brushing hers as he hands her the cup. GoGo takes a sip, the drink scalding her tongue, but it's too delicious for her to care. Tadashi raises his to his lips as well, gaze going to the large glass windows and the gray sky outside.

"Ready to brave the outdoors once more?"

GoGo takes another fortifying sip. "Let's get this over with."

Outside, her breath dissipates into the air, a tiny, billowing puff. The hot chocolate keeps her anchored, though, and she burrows her neck deeper into her jacket and starts forward, determined.

Out of nowhere, a light weight settles around her shoulders. Startled, GoGo stops in her tracks, blinking in surprise as Tadashi gives her his scarf.

"What are you doing?"

Tadashi shrugs. "You still look cold," he says, his voice holding the tiniest trace of laughter.

"I have hot chocolate," GoGo says dumbly, as if it's some sort of suitable explanation.

"And now you _also_ have a scarf."

She knows she should say "thank you." But because she's GoGo and he's Tadashi and they're…_them_, whatever that means, she doesn't say anything. Tadashi shoves his hands in his pockets and keeps walking, and GoGo falls a little bit behind because it's hard to drink and stroll at the same time.

When she's sure he isn't looking, GoGo pulls Tadashi's scarf up to cover her nose. It smells like she expected: fresh and clean and cared for, with just a hint of _boy._

And if she feels the tiniest bit warmer, it's _just_ because of the hot chocolate.


End file.
